Wednesday, February 20, 2019

"You'll adore Gin, who's determined to apply her brilliant computer skills to the mysteries of love... and in doing so, finds herself caught up in high-stakes intrigue. We cheer her on as she learns to trust her gut and heart along with her tech-savvy mind. CROW FLIGHT is a soaring debut from an author to watch." ―Laura Resau, author of RED GLASS

"A timely, fun story that flies across the pages and into your heart. A romantic tale with intriguing content, Cunningham delivers a compelling read about the predictability of life and love. ―Donna Cooner, author of SKINNY and SCREENSHOT

"Crow Flight is a delicious novel. Gin has decided what her life should look like - and it involves logic, equations, computer models, coding, ambition, and over-achieving. An unexpected twist forces her to reconsider, and rather suddenly she finds herself in new territory - a path that calls forth the heart, the willingness to adventure, and most importantly, an effort at finding and honoring the immaterial truth. When an English teacher asks her to consider Victor Hugo's contention that 'One must have bread, but before bread, one must have the ideal,' she boldly launches forth into a world of discovery, romance, and danger. This book, like Gin's adventure, is a beauty." ―Laura Pritchett, winner of the PEN USA Award in Fiction

The curious flight patterns of crows lead a teen computer programmer down a path of mystery and romance.

Gin trusts logic a little too much. She even designs programs to decide what to eat and how to spend her time. All that changes when she’s paired with a new transfer student, Felix, on a computer modeling assignment to explain certain anomalies in the behavior of crows.

As she enters Felix’s world and digs further into the data behind crow behavior, Gin uncovers a terrible secret. And the wrong decision could equal disaster squared . . .

CROW FLIGHT EXCERPT TWO:

The
quiet wrapped around them for a second. This field, tucked away from busy roads
and surrounded by trees, felt as still as the Old Pond. And Gin felt like the
frog, poised to jump.

“So . . .
you like crows?” It was not at all how she had planned to broach the topic.

The
smile hit his eyes first, then the corners of his lips angled up, those lips
that were somehow always slightly puckered. And he grinned.

He
crossed his arms and in that second, with a crow on each shoulder, he looked
like some strange medieval prince. Or a king. Someone from an old Norse legend,
who ran around with crows and wolves and conquered lands with his bare hands.

She
breathed in deep, and it smelled like wet ground and geese and gray skies.

“Yes, I
like crows.” His answer didn’t sound silly or condescending but seemed genuine.
“Actually, I train them. Want to see?”

She
tried to consider the offer, to tease out what Decider would say. Situation:
In a strange field with a strange boy and his trained crows. Decision: Stay or
go?

But
instead, she stood by Felix’s side, close enough to see what he was doing, but
not too close to scare the crows. Because she was certain she would scare them.
They were right there on his shoulders, and she was so near, she could reach
out and touch them. Glossy bodies like bundles of energy. Stocky with compact
muscles. Onyx eyes that blended in with their midnight feathers but caught the
light and shone.

The crow
closest to her tilted its head to the right and held Gin’s gaze.

“This is
Maggie.” Felix pointed to the bird that was watching Gin. “And this is
Frederick.” He pronounced it “Free-derick.”

“Maggie
and Free-derick,” she repeated. “Good to meet you both.”

“They
were doing some simple flights. But we’re about to practice retrieval. It’ll
only take a few minutes. Ready?”

At
first, she thought he was talking to the birds, but his eyes, with their flecks
of green and gold, were still locked on hers. “Ready.”

He
straightened his body and touched each bird on the head. They immediately
stilled. He whistled two low tones—Phee-Phaa—and the birds were off. Wings
beating fast, moving them farther and farther away, until they had disappeared
over the trees at the far edge of the field.

There
was a breeze, soft and cool, and Gin pulled her sweatshirt around her tighter.
Her nose felt iced, and her hands ached. A plane flew across the sky and for a
second, she imagined the rows of people tucked neatly inside, watching movies
and sipping sodas. No idea they were flying over a boy training crows.

You can purchaseCrow Flight at the following Retailers:

Photo Credit: Kel Elwood Photography

Susan Cunningham lives in the Colorado Rocky Mountains with her husband and two daughters. She enjoys science nearly as much as writing: she’s traveled to the bottom of the ocean via submarine to observe life at hydrothermal vents, camped out on an island of birds to study tern behavior, and now spends time in an office analyzing data on wool apparel. She blogs about writing and science at susancunninghambooks.com.

Thursday, February 14, 2019

"Brilliantly plotted, tightly paced, and intensely smart. The Deceivers is the perfect con, full of clever characters, untrustworthy romance, and lie after lie after lie, with just enough truth tossed in to make you question everything. Kristen Simmons is a deceptive genius. I could not devour this book fast enough." — Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Caraval

“Beneath its quick and clever dialogue, The Deceivers examines the moral grey area between good and evil. Lying has never seemed so much fun." —Katharine McGee, New York Times bestselling author of the Thousandth Floor Trilogy

"Masterful, suspenseful, and brilliantly executed, The Deceivers is the perfect con. Kristen Simmons is an outstanding storyteller, and this is her best yet." —Amie Kaufman, New York Timesbestselling author of Illuminae and These Broken Stars

"Addictive and delicious, The Deceivers will keep you turning the pages well into the night!" —Katie McGarry, critically acclaimed author of Pushing the Limits

"Brynn is a sharp, analytical thinker with a soft heart - the exact kind of protagonist I love rooting for, especially as villains and heroes creep out from places I don't expect...Even the prerequisite romance was a pleasant surprise as Brynn and her love interest show complete respect for one another, giving enthusiastic consent the front seat it absolutely deserves and yet feels underrepresented in young adult literature. I devoured this book in one big gulp because I couldn't wait to see what twists and turns were ahead." —Kelly Morton, Joseph-Beth Booksellers

“The Deceivers is a perfectly paced, high stakes read that is honestly super fun for the reader. Don't plan on putting it down in the middle to do other things, you'll want to keep reading. Simmons has outdone herself with this incredible new story about con artists and a girl trying to find her own path.” —Rachel Strolle, Teen Librarian, Glenside Public Library District

When Brynn Hilder is recruited to Vale, it seems like the elite academy is her chance to start over, away from her mom's loser boyfriend and her rundown neighborhood. But she soon learns that Vale chooses students not so much for their scholastic talent as for their extracurricular activities, such as her time spent conning rich North Shore kids out of their extravagant allowances.

At first, Brynn jumps at the chance to help the school in its mission to rid the city of corrupt officials--because what could be better than giving entitled jerks what they deserve? But that's before she meets her mark--a senator's son--and before she discovers the school's headmaster has secrets he'll stop at nothing to protect. As the lines between right and wrong blur, Brynn begins to realize she's in way over head.

Review:

I am a huge fan of Kristen books and with her new one she did not disappoint. It's so much fun and different from any other books I have read. It has teenagers who are like spies running cons to achieve their end goals. There is so many twists, turns, suspens, and romance that I was hooked from the start and finished this in one sitting. I can't wait to reread again soon. 5/5 Bloody Fangs

You can purchaseThe Deceivers at the following Retailers:

Photo Content fromKristen Simmons

KRISTEN SIMMONS is the author of the ARTICLE 5 series, THE GLASS ARROW, and METALTOWN. She has worked with survivors of abuse and trauma as a mental health therapist, taught Jazzercise in five states, and is forever in search of the next best cupcake. Currently she lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband, where she spends her days supporting the caffeine industry and chasing her delightfully rambunctious son.

Wednesday, February 13, 2019

Hello Book Lovers! Today on my blog I have the Break the Bodies, Haunt the Bones. On my stop there is a spotlight, excerpt, and giveaway.

Swine Hill was full of the dead. Their ghosts were thickest near the abandoned downtown, where so many of the town’s hopes had died generation by generation. They lingered in the places that mattered to them, and people avoided those streets, locked those doors, stopped going into those rooms . . . They could hurt you. Worse, they could change you.

Jane is haunted. Since she was a child, she has carried a ghost girl that feeds on the secrets and fears of everyone around her, whispering to Jane what they are thinking and feeling, even when she doesn’t want to know. Henry, Jane’s brother, is ridden by a genius ghost that forces him to build strange and dangerous machines. Their mother is possessed by a lonely spirit that burns anyone she touches. In Swine Hill, a place of defeat and depletion, there are more dead than living.

When new arrivals begin scoring precious jobs at the last factory in town, both the living and the dead are furious. This insult on the end of a long economic decline sparks a conflagration. Buffeted by rage on all sides, Jane must find a way to save her haunted family and escape the town before it kills them.

Excerpt:

Ten quotes from BREAK THE BODIES, HAUNT THE
BONES

1. “Swine Hill was
full of the dead.”

2. “Though Jane
didn’t know the ghost girl’s name, it had been a part of her ever since she was
a child.”

3. “The robot
dressed itself in his father’s old clothes—something Henry was certain he
hadn’t programmed it to do.”

4. “The hulking
pig man pushed his cart toward the meat department.”

5. “Rabbits, heads
down, beggaring their way over the floor.”

6. “The alien
spark was basketball-sized, the sound of it shattering, like lightning sliding
across lightning.”

7. “Blood dripped
slowly from his ears, stained the hollows under his eyes, clotted in his
mustache.”

8. “Bright embers
of weak spirits, barely holding on to the world of the living, streaked back
and forth through the dark.”

9. “In the quiet
of the yearbook room, with all the teachers and students gone for the day,
Hogboss began to ask, ‘What are chocolate Swiss rolls? How are they butchered?
Are there pigs everywhere, or only here? Can I get inside the television? Can
people in the television get out? Where do ghosts come from?’”

10. “Between
Bethany’s ribs, an amphitheater of spirits roared, their hands raised with
hers, animated by their belief that there was nothing this girl couldn’t do.”

“A tour-de-force of the imagination. Hicks has created a world that is beautifully and brutally surreal and yet, at the same time, BREAK THE BODIES, HAUNT THE BONES stands as a hyper-realistic psychological portrait of the death of the American factory town. My own identity as an American was disturbed and changed by this novel; some dormant understanding was shaken awake. This is a stunning and profound debut.” ―Julianna Baggott, bestselling author of New York Times Notable Book Pure

“I can’t stop thinking about this book. It’s a haunting story that burrows under your skin like an insect laying eggs that hatch within you in the middle of the night. Hicks’ mesmerizing imagery kept me turning the pages and asking myself ‘How is this book happening? What sort of literary witchcraft am I witnessing?’” ―Maurice Broaddus, author of Buffalo Soldier and The Usual Suspects

“BREAK THE BODIES, HAUNT THE BONES is a breathless wonder of a debut novel… Hicks is a magician with words and has written a spellbinding, haunting and necessary book.” ―Anne Valente, author of Our Hearts Will Burn Us Down

“Hicks has crafted a haunting story with multi-generational appeal, where the very real horror of poverty meets supernatural horror, and social issues like xenophobia, racism and economic anxiety are addressed organically through allegory and gripping storytelling.” ―Chris L. Terry, author of Black Card and Zero Fade

Micah Dean Hicks is the author of the novel Break the Bodies, Haunt the Bones. He is also the author of Electricity and Other Dreams, a collection of dark fairy tales and bizarre fables. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Kenyon Review, and elsewhere. Hicks grew up in rural southwest Arkansas and now lives in Orlando. He teaches creative writing at the University of Central Florida.

"The Scythian Trials crackles with life, hums with heart, and pounds with action for one hell of a read." ―San Francisco Book Review

"If you loved the Hunger Games and Divergent and just all around kicka$$ characters with an amazing storyline then you will love this." ―Books With Jess

Descendants of the Amazons, the Scythians work alongside prominent governments but answer to no one. Warriors living on the fringe of civilization, they live by one credo: Strength through Equality. Power through Knowledge.

Nya Thalestris is the brightest Scythian of her generation. Strong, capable, ruthless, she is sure to earn a spot in the Trials, a time-honored mating ritual responsible for the evolution of her species.

Abducted by their sworn enemy, the Drahzda, Nya is forever altered and spirals out of control. The Society sends in Jax Nickius. Infamous psychologist and one of the most brutal warriors of their kind, he discovers triggers planted in Nya’s mind. As Nya solidifies her spot in the Trials, Jax develops a plan to help—while pursuing her as a mate. But, Nya’s attraction to Jax is at war with her instinct to never let anyone get too close.

During the Trials, Nya’s repressed memories surface, revealing a new enemy—one from inside the consulate walls—and a traitorous alliance on the horizon that could irrevocably change the course of history.

Since before the Bronze Age, the Society has managed to safeguard humanity from itself … until now.

You can purchaseThe Scythian Trials at the following Retailers:

Photo Content from Vesuvian Books

Elizabeth Isaacs is an author, teacher, and publishing professional who began her career as a national presenter for Resource Profiles, where she developed teacher seminars designed to foster creative brain stimulation. Moving into formal education, she helped at-risk students improve their writing skills as well as created and implemented a creative writing/blogging program that centered on teaching the 21st-century learner. Works stemming from this initiative were published online and seen in over 40 countries.

Elizabeth receives invitations to speak nationwide at schools and book clubs. She co-founded the popular book blog, Chirenjenzie, which reaches thousands of readers throughout the world. The writer support and reader interest group promotes and interacts with followers on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter. Elizabeth has a Master’s degree from Austin Peay State University, where she studied classical opera. She graduated Magna Cum Laude and was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society.

Thursday, January 24, 2019

Hello Book Lovers! Today on my blog I have The Cold is in Her Bones. On my stop there is a spotlight, review, and giveaway.

One girl must uncover secrets of the past to save her friend from a terrible curse in this dark and mesmerizing story of love, revenge, and redemption inspired by the myth of Medusa.

Milla knows two things to be true: Demons are real, and fear will keep her safe.

Milla’s whole world is her family’s farm. She is never allowed to travel to the village and her only friend is her beloved older brother, Niklas. When a bright-eyed girl named Iris comes to stay, Milla hopes her loneliness might finally be coming to an end. But Iris has a secret she’s forbidden to share: The village is cursed by a demon who possesses girls at random, and the townspeople live in terror of who it will come for next.

Now, it seems, the demon has come for Iris. When Iris is captured and imprisoned with other possessed girls, Milla leaves home to rescue her and break the curse forever. Her only company on the journey is a terrible new secret of her own: Milla is changing, too, and may soon be a demon herself.

Suspenseful and vividly imagined, The Cold Is in Her Bones is a novel about the dark, reverberating power of pain, the yearning to be seen and understood, and the fragile optimism of love.

Review:

I love Greek mythology and so I defintely had to rad this book, but when I heard it was a Medusa retelling I was excited. And I was not disappoited with this book. I absolutely loved it. I can't really put into words how much I loved this book. I was drawn into this world where they fear a demon will posess their daughters, mothers, and friends. So they do rituals to keep the demon away and are good girls. But the demon still gets in their heads and when this happens they are taken to The Place.

Milla is a good girl and lives out on her family's farm. She does what she is told and never leaves the farm unlike her dad and brother. But one day they come back from the village with another girl and Milla's life is changed. She has a friend and doesn't feel lonely anymore. But the demon has other plans for Milla and her new friend Iris. When Iris is possessed and taken away, Milla makes it her mission to rescue her. But with Milla changing herself she might not be able to rescue her new friend.

I loved Milla so much. She is loyal and fierce and fights for what she believes is right. She grows so much in this book and definitely becomes a great heroine. I highly recommend this book if your looking for a book with danger, friendship, love, revenge, and betrayal that is centered around Greek mythology. 5/5 Bloody Fangs

"A dark and enchanting tale about friendship, pain, revenge, and the power of love, The Cold Is in Her Bones is the perfect read for Greek mythology fans and YA readers alike." ―Bustle

“Fiercely written and beautifully feminist, The Cold is in Her Bones reminds us of the power of loyalty and love in the face of ignorance and fear. I loved this tale of dangerous girls with wild hair and tangled hearts.” ―Lisa Maxwell, New York Timesbestselling author of The Last Magician

“A fresh, eerily compelling tale of betrayal, revenge, and the ties that bind. When van Arsdale paints a world, you can feel the fog against your skin.” ―Elly Blake, New York Times bestselling author of The Frostblood Saga

Peternelle van Arsdale grew up in Newark, New Jersey, where she attended public school through the eighth grade. After that she attended three high schools in three different towns in four years, was deeply unpopular, and counted the seconds until graduation. She majored in English literature at Bryn Mawr College, and then landed in book publishing, thinking it was a good way to be paid to do what she liked to do anyway (she was only partly wrong). She worked her way up from editorial assistant to executive editor of adult fiction and nonfiction, and eventually struck out on her own as an independent editor.

Her first young adult novel, The Beast Is an Animal, is being developed by Amazon Studios for a feature film produced by Ridley Scott’s Scott Free and directed by Bert & Bertie. Her essays have been published by LitHub, Hypable.com, and Culturefly, and her short fiction has been published by The Whitefish Review.

Her second novel, The Cold is in Her Bones , will be published in January 2019. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, where she continues to edit and is at work on her third novel.

Thank you for stopping by my blog today. I would also like to say Thank you to Peternelle for letting me review your book and say Thank you to Jean for letting me participate in this blog tour. Don't forget to enter the giveaway below.

Saturday, January 19, 2019

Hello Book Lovers! Today on my blog I have the Jinxed tour. On my stop there is a spotlight, excerpt, review, and giveaway.

SYNOPSIS

High School Can Be a Real Killer

Break a mirror

Walk under a ladder

Step on a crack

Innocent childhood superstitions …

But someone at the secluded Trask Academy of Performing Arts is taking things one deadly step further when the campus is rocked with the deaths of some of its star students.

Layna Curtis, a talented, popular senior, soon realizes that the seemingly random, accidental deaths of her friends aren’t random—or accidents—at all. Someone has taken the childhood games too far, using the idea of superstitions to dispose of their classmates. As Layna tries to convince people of her theory, she uncovers the terrifying notion that each escalating, gruesome murder leads closer to its final victim: her.

Will Layna’s opening night also be her final bow?

Excerpt:

“Dean, thank you for coming here. I know it isn’t usual—”

McKenna waved a pale, veiny hand. “This is not an alumni
luncheon,” he uttered. “How much longer do you need to be here? The faster we
put this poor girl’s tragedy behind us, all the better.” Parker replied,
coolly, “It would’ve been more helpful had I been given more time to look
things over and—”

“Figure out why this happened?” the dean finished. “These
young adults are under far more pressure than most. From the school, but also
from home.”

“Something for the brochure,” Parker said.

“Alfred—” the dean started.

“Detective,” Parker said, pleased to do his own
interrupting.

McKenna blanched for the slightest of moments, but recovered
and continued more tersely. “There are a few hundred students on this campus,
each one here to be judged, not just to be good, but to be the best. The
competition never ends. It will cause cracks in even the most sturdy. Coupled
with adolescence, what can one expect? You see it as tragic. Others claim it is
the price of chasing fame and, for the lucky few, fortune.”

Parker was visibly agitated. “Well then, it sounds like you
have it all figured out. Kids so stressed they party themselves to death?”

“Exams are done. Spring break is here. Perhaps in their
excitement some pushed a tad too far,” McKenna said. “There is nothing
malicious in that.”

“I’m told a few students did not leave the island,” Parker
clarified.

“Seniors,” McKenna said with an odd sense of pride. “Allowed
to stay if they wish and prepare for the showcase. It is a rather big event for
us here. People, important people, come in from all over.”

Parker pressed on. “What about faculty?”

McKenna seemed to be getting bored. “Just myself and Lillian
D’Arcangelo. She teaches drama and acts as a counselor, and the students love
her. We live here on campus. And you have met Daniel. He watches over us all. I
know you are terribly busy, but I must ask again, when are you leaving?”

“I’ll be done when I’m done. And now, if you’ll excuse me,
Harlan.”

Parker opened the door to Sydney’s room and entered. He closed
it behind him, leaving Harlan McKenna to stare at the star shimmering with the
name of his dead student.

Review:

I love slasher books and movies and when I saw this cover I knew I had to read it. It definitely reads like a slasher movie. Thommy is so descriptive in his scenes that I could easily picture them and the horror/slasher movie lover in me was exteremely happy. This book has it all. There is drama, twists, gore, and it's fast paced. I could not put this book down until I was done reading it in one sitting. I need more in this world and more books from Thommy. This will definitely be on my top reads for this year. 10/10 Bloody Fangs

[Hutson] creates a gore-filled throwback to the classic teen slasher flick genre … Graphically detailed descriptions make it clear that this work of horror isn’t for the faint of heart. ―Publishers Weekly

ThommyHutson’s ‘Jinxed’ is a Must Read for Classic Horror Fans (linked to full iHorror review)

“Hutson … knocked it completely out of the park … with an expertly paced, cinematic slasher in a setting that would make Agatha Christie proud.” ―Waylon Jordan, iHorror.com

“ThommyHutson is the ultimate authority in nostalgia-driven storytelling.” ―Clive Barker, Bestselling Author of Books of Blood and The Thief of Always

“Jinxed is the teen whodunit that Wes Craven and Lois Duncan never made. Hutson has created the best new slasher franchise since Scream.” ―Peter M. Bracke, Author of Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th

“A dark, tension-filled thriller that’s wicked to the very end. Bad luck was never so much fun!” ―Jeffrey Reddick, Creator of Final Destination

Born and raised in Upstate New York,ThommyHutson graduated from UCLA and launched his career co-writing the story for the Warner Bros. animated hit SCOOBY-DOO IN WHERE’S MY MUMMY? He followed that with co-writing the concept and additional material for CHILL OUT, SCOOBY-DOO!

His career then took a thrilling turn when he wrote and produced several definitive genre film retrospectives for television and home entertainment: SCREAM: THE INSIDE STORY (Bio Channel), NEVER SLEEP AGAIN: THE ELM STREET LEGACY (Bio Channel), MORE BRAINS! A RETURN TO THE LIVING DEAD (Chiller) and HIS NAME WAS JASON: 30 YEARS OF FRIDAY THE 13th (Starz/Anchor Bay).

He was also a staff writer on Hulu’s daily web series “The Morning After,” a smart, witty, pop culture program aimed at getting viewers up-to-date on the latest entertainment news and celebrity interviews.

Thommy also produced the critically acclaimed feature THE TROUBLE WITH THE TRUTH, an insightful relationship drama starring Lea Thompson and John Shea. He also produced DREAMWORLD, a quirky, romantic dramedy.

He co-wrote and produced ANIMAL for Chiller Films and Drew Barrymore’s Flower Films. The project debuted in iTunes’ top ten horror films (reaching #1) and became the network’s highest-rated original movie.

Continuing his passion for uncovering the stories behind the story, he went on to produce CRYSTAL LAKE MEMORIES: THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF FRIDAY THE 13th, which is the most comprehensive look at the popular film franchise.

He produced and made his feature directorial debut with THE ID, an independent psychological drama/thriller. Filmmaker Magazine stated it was “a deeply unsettling thriller that’s as moving as it is frightening…with skillful, provocative direction that has echoes of early Polanski.”

Thommy also wrote the screenplay for Syfy Channel’s supernatural horror film TRUTH OR DARE, which was a trending topic on social media the night of its release.

As an author Thommy crafted a limited-edition coffee table book detailing the making and legacy of Wes Craven’s 1984 classic A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET. A trade version distributed by Simon & Schuster reached number one in Amazon.com’s Movie History & Criticism category. His latest novel, the teen thriller “Jinxed,” (Vesuvian Media) is the first book of a trilogy and has been called “A must-read for classic horror fans…Inevitable and shocking. Brutal and beautiful. Homage and originality…Hutson could easily take on the mantle as the next Lois Duncan.”

He is currently scripting a film for The Hallmark Channel as well as writing another book that definitively details the history, making, and legacy of another fan-favorite genre film from the 1980s.

A member of the Producers Guild of America and Horror Writers Association, and an aficionado of horror and teen movies from the 80s and 90s, Thommy continues to develop unique, compelling, and provocative projects across multiple genres for film, television, publishing, and home entertainment through his company Hutson Ranch Media.

Thank you for stopping by my blog today. I would also like to say Thank you to Thommy for letting me review your book and say Thank you to Jean for letting me participate in this blog tour. Don't forget to enter the giveaway below.